Nightly Escape
by Eternal Nightingale
Summary: IchiRuki, AU Vampire fic. They wanted her dead, he wanted her alive. There's only one thing to do.


**Title: Nightly Escape**

**Pairing(s): IchiRuki**

**Rating: Eh....T maybe M? Depends on how you want to interpret my failed attempt at soft smut XD**

**Summary: They wanted her dead, he wanted her alive. There's only one thing to do. **

**A/N: My entry for the Halloween contest going on in the IchiRuki FC over at Bleach Asylum. This is an AU vampire fic, and yes I tried not to make it cliche... hopefully I didn't fail at this lol. All vampires in my fic have blue eyes, just pointing this out in case anyone gets confused when I describe Ichigo's eyes as this color instead of his usual brown :p**

**This fic has been worked on since the beginning of September, so if any of you spot inconstancies I'm sorry hahaha, real life has a way of constricting time on the computer and I couldn't make it as good as I had wanted it. **

***Another note: Updates on TSYA and TSoB will be posted soon, I have to do a lot of editing on those chapters as well :D **

**Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me. **

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**"She must be left dead if you ask me."

"She's one of the strongest vampires we have in our arsenal, we cannot just kill her off."

"What she's committed is a high treason among our court and you know it! She must be punished!"

"If you must punish her, then keep it lenient, she's still useful to us after all."

"Death is the best course gentlemen! If she has done this once, who's to say she won't do it again."

"Che, I always knew she was too soft to be among our kind. Our lord should have gotten rid of her, she's a thorn to our kind.."

"ENOUGH!!"

The group of vampires grows silent at the agitated and angered voice of their lord. The old man's piercing blue eyes stare at his council, his patience with their useless arguing having run out long ago.

"We have been here for three hours deliberating Rukia Kuchiki's punishment for her crime and yet you all have NOTHING!"

The pale men in the room feel tense air fill the room as the moon's glow enters through the tall, slender windows. They stare at their own shadows dancing across the marble floor of the meeting room, hoping their lord's temper would calm down.

The vampire lord takes in a deep breath, and sits back on his chair, his white beard hanging leisurely on the wooden table in front of him. He extends out a finger, a ruby ring glistening by the moon's light, and grumbles out his question.

"I will ask again, do we all agree on Rukia Kuchiki's punishment?"

The group of men give each other worried glances, and troubled looks. A young vampire with flaming red hair clenches his fist, hating himself for being forced to make such a decision. A calm and collected vampire stares at the picture of the criminal they are judging. His empty blue eyes narrow slightly, the image morphing into his late wife for only a second before it is gone again and his conscious is silenced once and for all.

All the vampires rise slowly from their chairs and take a deep breath before replying.

"Aye, we find that Kuchiki Rukia is guilty of treason, and her punishment is…death."

The old man nods, already rising from his chair, a silver parchment in his hand. His eyes glow red for a moment, and the paper burns, turning to blue dust and vanishing into the air.

"Very well. I've notified all of our kin. Our assassins will be ready to kill on the spot as soon as she is spotted. I suggest you prepare your own battalion of assassins to track her down."

The council murmurs their agreement, already sending out orders for Rukia Kuchiki's head.

"I want her dead by tomorrow morning is that understood?"

The vampires nod again, stating their goodbyes as the lord of the castle vanishes behind closed doors, and the meeting room is left silent again.

--

A young vampire with bright orange hair, and frightened blue eyes slowly slides down the large white-painted door, ignoring the voices of the council as they talked amongst themselves over their decision.

He clutches his heart, wishing for once it would stop its frantic beating, so he wouldn't feel the pain, or the growing apprehension of his hopeless situation.

He scowls, his hand trembling, as it clutches his shirt tighter. "Death…" He whispers silently to himself, almost hoping that by saying it…it would become false.

His anguish clearly shows on his face as he hears the council leave the room, each going their own way to make sure their orders were completed.

They were all allowing Rukia to be killed…for sparing a human man's life. Ichigo shakes his head, refusing to believe that the vampire clan could be ruled by such…idiotic laws.

"It's…not fair." He speaks with a tremor in his voice.

Rukia was a kind vampire, unlike the many corrupt that made up their clan. She had saved his life, made him into a vampire so he would not die from the blood loss of his wounds all those years ago. She was bringing change that would help their clan continue to survive the world's ever changing times. How could they kill her for doing what was right?

"I…don't get it." He clenches his fists, a fiery anger forming in his blue depths. "I refuse to accept their judgment. If they plan to go through with this then I have to find her before they do."

The vampire slowly rises to his feet, trying to control his frazzled nerves before he exploded in complete anger. He was in love with that woman, and there was no way he'd let them take her life for their petty pride.

He needed to control himself first though; she had once warned him his temper would be his downfall if he weren't careful. He needed to place that mask of indifference back on his face before he could even track her down.

No one knew of their romance, that a mere vampire assassin was in love with the heir to the council position given to the Kuchiki family. He knew that leak of information would make their situation much more difficult than it already is.

He shakes his black coat back into place; stands tall, with a blank look on his face before walking down the hall. He spots members of his group making their way to their leader, weapons already strapped to their clothes. Ichigo grimaces at some of the weapons. The swords in particular make him feel sick for a moment before he shrugs it off and continues in the opposite direction.

He enters a secluded part of the castle and walks down the hall, trying to find the secret door Rukia has shown him all those years before, when they had first met.

--

_He had awoken in a bedroom so large; it looked more like the size of his entire house. He blinked slowly, his eyes feeling heavy and pulsing with a dull pain. His brown eyes focused on the red velvet lining all around the canopy in his bed. The black curtains that shielded him from the light pouring in from the room made him feel somewhat claustrophobic, and caused him to try and sit up from the bed._

_He cringed as he felt a stabbing pain from his side slowly rise all the way up to his bandaged arm. He looked down in stunned silence at the wounds he possessed. He hadn't recalled being injured at all, let alone this badly. In fact, he didn't even recognize the room he was in. _

_He slowly moved his body towards the edge of the bed, wincing as he realized his feet were pretty bruised up as well. His tired eyes took in the appearance of the room, and he noticed a mirror in the far off corner of the left wall. He got off the bed and made his way to the mirror, hoping to see how bad his injuries had actually been. _

_He felt another shooting pain go up his left leg, and he found himself crumpled on the floor from being unable to stand any further. He held his leg gingerly, wondering what could have happened to him that made his leg practically useless. _

_As if to answer all his questions, the door to the bedroom had opened, and a hushed gentle voice sent an order to someone outside before entering the room. Ichigo could still remember how he had forgotten to breath as she had made her appearance._

_A large black Victorian dress adorned her small but curvy body. White lace surrounded the edges, and a moon pendant shined against her black corset. Her white skin seemed to glow as she drew closer to him, and he finally got a look at her eyes. A beautiful stunning blue that seemed to almost mesmerize him as she continued to keep eye contact with him, and eyelashes so long it only made her eyes look even more entrancing. Her silky black locks were tied back by a lovely butterfly brooch, and he noticed that her hair seemed to frame her face just right._

_She stopped next to his body, and knelt down by his face, her expression that of worry and amusement. She extended out a gloved hand and helped him to his feet. He was a bit surprised by her apparent strength as she held him steady and led him back to the bed. He felt the pain from his leg disappear as his body made contact with the bed again, and he let out a small murmur of thanks to the woman who had helped him._

_She nodded, an odd smirk on her face. "It was nothing. Though I figured you would know better than to wander off when you can barely move at all."_

_Her teasing tone angered Ichigo for some reason and he bit back with an annoyed tone. "Forgive me for being confused and trying to figure out why I'm here lady. I'll ask for permission next time."_

_His sarcastic tone seemed to not have affected her; she merely smiled and turned to go towards the mirror from earlier. "See that you do."_

_He growled, her condescending attitude towards him pissing him off. "You sure know how to treat your wounded guests don't you lady?"_

_He had expected more retaliation after his scorching comment, and he was shocked to see her blue eyes regain that same worried look from earlier. She picked up a small brown case on the table by the mirror and walked over to him, her eyes never losing the worried glint._

_He had squirmed uncomfortably at her stare, opting to look at the opposite wall while she replaced some of his bloodied bandages. Her hands were quick and nimble, her fingers snipping and placing new rolls of cotton bandages around his side cut, then tying just tight enough to let him breathe._

"_I must apologize to you." She whispered out, her eyes downcast as she placed her medicinal herbs back in the wooden box. _

_He eyed her closely, his mind jumbling with thoughts as to why she would suddenly tell him this._

_She looked up, her eyes full of guilt and remorse for the words she was about to speak. "I'm afraid, whatever life you had before this moment will be something you can never return to."_

_His eyes widened and his brows creased in anger. Before he could yell out his defiance she placed her hand between them to stop him._

"_I…I am a vampire. I had gone to another one of my feeding grounds and…found you being stabbed by some human robbers."_

_Realization fell upon Ichigo's shoulders like ice-cold water as she continued speaking. His memories were returning to him._

"_I…disposed of them, but found you beyond any…human help. I did the only thing I could think of in my panicked state…and for that I am terribly sorry."_

_He looked away from her, a mocking smile forming on his lips as he digested her words and replayed them in his head._

_He laughed slowly, almost unbelieving of his own words as he spoke them. "Y-You're saying you turned me into a vampire lady?"_

_Her eyes remained downcast, her fingers pulling on the hem of her gown. "Yes."_

_He didn't feel as used or as hurt at being turned into this as he thought he would. Yes, it was an irrational act on her part, but he had known vampires existed, anyone with a half-brain in this world would know that vampires existed. Still, he tried to feel anger…bitterness anything for what this young woman had done. He couldn't. He combed through his orange locks and let out a tired sigh. _

"_It's all right. I'm not mad for what you've done to me. In fact, you sort of saved my life."_

_The young woman looked up with astonishment written on her face. She then gave him a cold glare, baffled by his placid response and acceptance._

"_I've just told you that you're a vampire! Creatures that are immortal! I've changed your life without even giving you a choice! You should be mad at me and cursing me for ruining your life!"_

_Her outburst made him stumble back towards the center of the bed, and he wondered why this particular vampire was being so…open with her feelings. He gave her an odd look as her shoulders trembled and he again sighed._

"_It's okay. My life was pretty much sucking before this happened anyway." He smirked at her clueless expression._

"_Tell you what…if you really want me to accept this apology of yours…I will."_

_He slid back towards the edge of the bed, a curious look in his eye. "Under one condition."_

_She stared at his face, feeling a strange sense of trust just by looking into his blue eyes. She nodded slowly, still a bit skeptical._

"_Let's be friends, and you teach me everything I need to know about this thing you call vampire living."_

_He found himself breathless yet again when her eyes shimmered again and she blinked at his words. She scoffed, shaking her head and walking back towards the table._

"_You are a strange person. Others would have loathed me for my actions." She turned and gave him a small smile. "I'm intrigued. I'll take up your offer…"_

_He noticed her blank look and smirked. "It's Ichigo Kurosaki."_

"_Ah, Ichigo. My name is Rukia Kuchiki."_

_--  
_

He catches his breath by the corner of the far northern end of the mansion and looks on as another group of assassin vampires exit the building and disappear in a gust of wind.

'Damn bastards, they're all following orders like killing Rukia off is just another daily chore to them.'

He straightens back up and waits for the last stray vampire to vanish past the doors before running towards another secluded part of the mansion. Ichigo digs into his pockets trying to find the pendant Rukia had given him days after he'd first been entered into her society of vampires.

_"You'll be a hopeless moron the first few months you'll be here I can tell. So take this with you. A drop of your blood will make the pendant glow, and help you find me if you're ever in need of my aid."_

He clenches the small clear stone in his hand as he finds it in the same place he put it this morning, his pocket. Ichigo slowly takes it out from his pant pocket and holds it close to his chest; afraid it'd slip and disappear. This was the only to track her down without being obvious, and the only way to do it while sneaking through the secret passageways he was about to find and enter.

He didn't have much time left, he could tell. A swarm of vampire assassins have already left in search for her. Ichigo grimaces, finally understanding why Rukia had been so fervent in trying to change the ways of the vampire clan. For simply sparing a human man's life, they were cutting down one of their own.

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo stiffens, his repetitive thoughts silenced by the booming voice calling his attention. He turns weary blue eyes towards the figure making his way to him. Renji, one of the young council members that had voted for Rukia's death, and he looks just as troubled as him as he stood in front of him.

The young man leans against the wall, hiding his eyes with his orange locks. He was cracking, if he let Renji see how upset he was with the clan's decision, getting to Rukia would be more difficult.

The redhead turns to look out one of the windows, vampires already patrolling the grounds for any signs that Rukia was trying to return into the mansion. He narrows his eyes, and makes his decision.

"You heard everything didn't you?" He whispers out hoarsely.

'Has he been crying?' Ichigo silently wonders, eying Renji's less than calm appearance. The man was straining to keep himself in check as well.

"Yea." He replies, repeatedly touching the pendant in his pocket, reassuring himself it was still there.

Renji turns to give his full attention to him and gives him a weak smirk. "Your squad's looking for you. Apparently you're their best tracker, and Rukia and you were close. They think it'll be an advantage to find her faster."

"Suppose it will." Ichigo scowls; he should have known those bastards wanted him to track down Rukia for them.

"You don't like this either do you?" Renji asks.

The young man doesn't answer, his eyes looking down the hall, where the secret passageway awaited him. He didn't have time to make small talk with Renji over the what-ifs about Rukia, every second counted, and he was wasting it being here.

Renji spots Ichigo's rigid appearance and lets out a weak laugh. Without saying a word, the redhead begins to walk down the hall. Ichigo's attention remains on the floor, his eyes focusing on just that, praying the man will leave soon and he can keep going.

Ichigo stiffens his arm as Renji suddenly grabs it into a tight grip. Ichigo looks up and gives the man a cold glare.

"Let. Go." He hisses out, his anger building at Renji's indifferent look.

"If you take the passageway she showed you, it'll lead you to the northern mansion's side entrance."

Ichigo's eyes widen, was he helping him?

"Once you get there, take the path that's surrounded by the plum blossom trees. That path will lead you to a rusted old gate hidden by the vines of the adjacent wall. Carefully enter without making a noise, and continue to follow the path. If you do all of this correctly, you'll find her in due time."

Renji releases Ichigo's arm and casually continues walking down the hall, his appearance returning to the calm and collected councilman he was.

Ichigo rubs his bruised arm, and stares at the man's distancing back. He sighs, his blue eyes gleaming with sadness and confusion.

"Why?" He whispers out, his voice almost echoing in the empty hall.

"I chose my path to follow, and left her behind. It was never my intention to do it that way, but it happened. I can no longer be the one to save her from the shadows seeking her death."

Renji turns, giving the young vampire a small grin. "You can. So go get her, and take her away. This life has done enough to her, she needs to be free."

The red-haired man disappears into the shadows again, leaving behind a grateful young vampire as he slowly makes his way to the old grandfather clock ticking away to an endless beat.

"Thank you." Ichigo murmurs, a small smile gracing his lips for a moment before he pushes the clock's glass surface and enters the dark passageway that will lead him to Rukia.

--

_She sighed, her patience waning as the seconds flew by and he was still doing nothing._

"_Look Ichigo, you agreed to accept the life of a vampire. If your words are as true as you say then you have to put some effort into this."_

_The orange-haired man scoffed, rubbing his sore legs as he stood back up and looked up at the huge wooden wall he'd been training on for the past two hours. _

"_Rukia! I still don't understand what this has to do with being a fuckin' vampire! Climbing some retarded wall is supposed to help?!"_

_The young vampire sighed again, a vein popping on the side of her head as she walked over towards him. _

"_Look. You're lucky I got a position for you as a member of my brother's assassin squad. I've already taught you how to feed on humans without killing them, or draining too much of their blood. The next obvious step is to train your newly acquired muscles and powers so you can be useful in the squad."_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes, popping one of his shoulders as Rukia continued her insistent babbling._

"_Yea, yea. I get all of that. Even the gross part with the blood-sucking." He ignored the glare she sent him, and the mumbled 'You shouldn't call what keeps you alive gross.' she stated. "I just don't get the training. I mean…aren't you vampires supposed to have 'natural' abilities of physical endurance and strength? Not to mention the other crap you guys got that make you almost invincible."_

_Rukia's blue orbs glowed for a moment, almost as if she was angered by his words, before she closed them and moved away from him. The young man felt a tinge of guilt as she sat on one of the training benches in the back gardens. He might have gone a bit too far with that last comment._

_He only knew Rukia for three or four months, but one thing he had picked up from their constant interactions was the fact that she was proud of what she was. She expected great things from vampires, and he had spoken like vampires were just everyday stereotypes he could mouth about with no respect at all._

'_I'm one too now, guess I should be a bit more discreet with what I say.'_

_He rubbed the back of his head, carefully making his way towards her slumped form. He plopped next to her, and gave her hair a slight ruffle. He frowned when that didn't get the usual response from her. _

"_I'm sorry. Guess I shouldn't take our kind for granted as quickly as I did okay? I'm just tired of having to train everyday, it gets me pretty agitated." _

_Rukia placed her hand on his knee and patted it gently. He felt a surge of power tingle all the way up his arm, even without making an effort; he could feel Rukia's strength. She smiled sadly after a moment, her blue eyes looking up to stare at something distant he couldn't quite find._

"_It's all right. Perhaps I have been a tad too harsh with your training. I can feel it." She turned to look at him. "Your strength has grown immensely since your first days here. Even without the training, I'm sure the natural instincts we vampires have would have come to you. You are an amazing man, I can tell."_

_He felt his face turn hot at the look of confidence she had for him gleam in her blue eyes, and he turned away, hoping she didn't see how much her words affected him._

_She seemed oblivious as she returned to staring towards the mansion, her eyes becoming distant again. She frowned then, her blue eyes clouding over with troubling thoughts Ichigo wished he could know. _

"_I suppose I'm doing this more for myself than for you." She started off. "You're rare among our kind. A human turned into a vampire. Yet, you have natural talent, you have transitioned into our way of living faster than I could have dreamed of."_

_Ichigo found he couldn't keep his eyes away from her as she spoke. It was almost like that first day, where the mere presence of her took his breath away. _

'_What the hell is this woman doing to me?'_

"_Which is why I'm hoping you'll be the one to help me make the changes I so desperately want to make for our kind." Her voice trembled for a moment, almost as if she was uncertain, before she continued. "We're proud beings. We strive to always exude authority, strength, and power. So much so, that we have become violent…and cold-hearted in our attempts to keep our title as the supreme race." _

_Ichigo watched her intently, his blue eyes flashing with emotions as he began to understand Rukia a bit more._

"_You want to change the way the vampires are ruled don't you?" He whispered out, looking down at the cobbled stones beneath his feet._

_She nodded, her expression comical as she kept talking. "I know it is silly to believe that I can make a difference, let alone a dent into the ways we've lived for hundreds of years."_

_He nearly jumped in surprise as she snatched his hand into her own smaller and paler one, holding it tightly as she continued. "I have to try though. We vampires can co-exist with humans without killing them or making them suffer a long and painful death." She looked up at him, her hand trembling as she held his. "I felt alone in my struggle, that I was the only one who wanted this change, and could pull it off."_

_He felt his heart pounding rapidly against his chest as her blue eyes glowed with warmth and hope, all directed at him. "I have you now. The man who accepted being turned into a vampire, and has done a marvelous job tuning into our lifestyle. With you, I can prove that vampires and humans can live in peace, no more unnecessary bloodshed."_

"_Rukia…" he voiced out, unable to form another syllable at the high faith and trust she was giving him without a second thought. _

"_Will you help me do this? Continue the training and make yourself powerful, show them that humans aren't useless…that they can make excellent vampires."_

_His own blue eyes widened, and he felt his heart skip a beat at her almost pleading tone. She needed him, needed him for a cause so noble he never thought he'd hear it from a vampire. He looked down at her, his hand subconsciously going to her cheek as she closed her eyes to his touch. _

_He nodded. If it meant helping her create a better world for both vampires and humans, if it meant staying by her side longer…than there was really no thinking about it at all._

"_I'll help you. Though saying it with less words would have been nicer." He laughed at her flushed face as she shoved him and stood back up. _

"_Forgive me for being more articulate than you Mr. Kurosaki!" She huffed and began walking back towards the training wall. "Enough then! Get back to training your lazy ass! You'll be useless if you can't be as strong as me soon."_

_He smirked at her outraged tone, knowing it was false. His smirk turned to a grin as she turned her head to look at him, a grateful smile gracing her lips._

"_Thank you, Ichigo." _

"_Yea."_

_So…this is what it felt to fall in love with someone._

_--  
_

He never knew these passageways were so tiny and constricted. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps he was claustrophobic after all. He stops momentarily, and his blue eyes begin to glow as he tries to sense the life essence of the assassin vampires searching across the grounds surrounding the mansions and the city nearby.

His eyes narrow in growing apprehension as he senses the number of vampires growing. His time to search and find Rukia was shortening faster than he would have liked. The glow from his eyes retreating, he grips the pendant still in his pocket once again, and ignoring the way his hand trembles he keeps pushing forward towards the long passageway.

--

_He tried to hold back the bile that wanted to so desperately rise up his throat. His blue eyes glanced away from the unconscious woman only feet away from him. His muscles tensed as felt the blood he drank slowly energize him again, and he let out a heavy groan at the metallic aftertaste filling his throat._

_He felt a small hand pat his shoulder gently and with care. Ichigo managed a pained smirk as he turned to look at a set of concerned blue eyes._

_"I might be able to do this feeding thing, but I don't think I'll ever get used to the taste of it, and the fact I'm feeding on humans."_

_Rukia smiled, feeling sympathy for the young man before her who was trying so hard to let go of his human roots to help her ambitions._

_"It will pass, give it some more time. Soon enough you'll be able to feed without even thinking."_

_She flinched as Ichigo crumpled further on the ground, the blood feeding his body still making it painful for him to handle._

_"I-I'm sorry. You're being so strong with the continuing changes to your body to help me and my goals. As soon as we get to the mansion I will let you rest, no training for today."_

_Ichigo didn't know if he should have freaked out at Rukia's unusual show of concern, and opted instead to look away, his cheeks turning red._

_The young woman failed to notice his sudden mood change and continued to try and comfort him as the last bit of blood finally entered his system and let his body relax. Ichigo rolled over, finding his head tucked nicely in between Rukia's legs, as she looked him over for any other problems. His blush from earlier returned, and his scowl deepened as he studied her porcelain face._

_'Is it wrong to want to just stay here with her forever?'_

_As if reading his thoughts, Rukia's face gained a rosy color as he continued to look at her. She coughed lightly and looked up at the night sky, trying to avoid looking down at his intense blue eyes again._

_'He's been giving me the same look for months now…what is he doing to me that makes me flush just by his stare?'_

_Her eyes widened a fraction, the clouds that seemed gone one minute rolling in rapidly, covering the moon from her view._

_"It's going…" She cleared her throat, embarrassed at how her voice cracked and went a pitch higher than her usual tone. She refused to make eye contact with Ichigo as she picked up from where she left off. "It's going to rain soon. We should get going, the mansion grounds is not a pleasant place to be when it's raining heavily."_

_Ichigo tried to hide his laughter, her face contorting into infuriatingly cute expressions making it even more difficult for him to hold it. As she helped him get to his feet, his eyes landed on the unconscious woman still lying face down on the ground and he gave Rukia a worried glance._

_Rukia's face was calm as she simply nodded her head towards the direction of the other end of the alley. He spotted two lads running towards them, and he smirked in understanding, allowing Rukia to help him jump over towards the next building to make their escape._

_"You knew that alleyway was where those guys always walk by every evening didn't you?" He questioned her as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop._

_Rukia's face remained stoic, her concentration seemingly being only the path ahead of her. She stopped half a mile away from the mansion to catch a quick breather, and Ichigo asked again._

_He smiled at her blush as she sat on the stump of an old tree. "Of course I did moron! I'm not cold-hearted as to leave a woman defenseless out there after being drained of blood. Have you not been listening to me these past months?"_

_Ichigo sat next to her; his face was blank before he turned to give her another one of his 'looks' that always left her speechless. Without saying a word, he leaned down until his nose nearly touched hers. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was growing erratic as she felt his hot breath roll over her face and down her neck._

_His hand tentatively cupped her cheek, and she found herself unable to look away from his blue eyes as his lips slowly brushed against her own, and then made contact again as he kissed her fully on the lips._

_Her eyes closed in reaction, and she found herself leaning in to deepen the kiss, and pouted when he pulled away. His face was flushed and his breathing was just as erratic as her own. His scowl had returned and he looked away, combing through his orange locks._

_"I…I know you're not cold-hearted…your kind. That's why I…"_

_"That's why you kissed me because you're in love with me and want to take advantage of my innocence."_

_Ichigo fell off the stump in angered shock and stared dumbfounded at Rukia's wicked smirk as she looked on from her position on the stump._

_"W-What the fuck Rukia?!" he finally managed to scream out as she began to laugh._

_She waved a hand leisurely and her smirk turned into a gentle smile. "Silly Ichigo, I'm much older than you…therefore much wiser. I knew you've been in love with me for quite some time."_

_Ichigo continued to gawk at the small vampire and stammered. "B-But… the…and you…back there…the blushing."_

_Rukia raised a brow at his ramblings, and then shook her head as she finally understood. "Come now Ichigo. I'm not that old either…" She blushed, as she looked away, her eyes distant for a moment. "I've never been courted…it felt…nice that someone was interested in me in such a way."_

_Ichigo's frazzled mind finally settled as her words became clear. He looked back up at her, to see that she was staring at him with an embarrassed look._

_"Well?" She whispered._

_He was silent for a moment before scoffing and getting back on his feet. He walked over to her and offered his hand._

_"Since you've accepted my feelings it's only natural I walk my woman back to the mansion, no?"_

_She scowled for a moment for the 'my woman' comment but accepted his hand and felt her cheeks grow warm again. As the two made their way towards the mansion, Ichigo gave the black-haired woman a look before smirking._

_"So you've been in love with me for awhile huh?"_

_Rukia didn't answer, opting to look at the bare garden just outside the mansion walls. Ichigo only chuckled as he spotted the red on her face spreading to her neck and collarbone._

_'So you have.'_

_--  
_

Ichigo feels a heavy wave of relief fill his entire body as he spots light at the end of the passageway. Pushing his legs to keep running forward, he soon reaches the end and sees an aged wooden door. His blue eyes burn with even more resolve as he pries the door open and is once again outside.

He squints as the sudden appearance of the moonlight, and takes this chance to remove the pendant Rukia gave him out of his pocket. It glitters beautifully in the palm of his hand, and for a moment he can hear her voice again, echoing over his ears like a lovely melody he never wants to forget. His brows furrow in concentration as he pierces his index finger against the sharp edge of the pendant.

His blood slowly oozes out from the cut and he watches as it begins to fill in the grooves carved into the pendant. The stone slowly begins to glow brighter and brighter as his blood surrounds the pendant, and he can feel hope swirling within his soul again.

The pendant emits a singular dim white light, and it aims ahead of him, towards the gardens of the north mansion…where a rusted gate could barely be seen through the thick vines.

Ichigo is honestly surprised, not expecting that Renji's words had been true. He lets out a sigh and runs towards the distant garden entrance. He can see the tall plum blossom trees as he runs, and his attention goes to the sweet scent, a scent he was very familiar with.

The light glowing out from the pendant continues to point forward, towards Rukia, as he delves into his memories again.

--

_It had been raining heavily that night as Rukia commanded the group of assassins he was in to go and kill their intended target._

_As he had passed her, something hot and searing bubbled in his body. The rainwater clinging to her dark locks, and her uniform hugging her curves in just the right places…he was left breathless yet again. It couldn't be helped he suddenly felt aroused as she stood there with that controlled expression of hers, she exuded authority, and it was turning him on…bad._

_He had let out a soft growl, and attempted to return his attention back to the mission, but found it increasingly difficult to do so when she kept following him from a distance._

_She had picked up the habit of keeping near him in missions, her protective ways just as bad as his, he had found out._

_He tried in vain to ignore the way her hips swayed as she jumped from building to building. She caught up with him quickly and gave him a weary stare at the way he seemed to be overly concentrating on simply keeping up with the other squad members._

_"Ichigo! Pay attention you fool! I won't have you dragging the squad down because you're off in la-la land."_

_Ichigo cringed, and put a small distance between Rukia and him. There's was no way in hell he was going to tell her that his 'thoughts' weren't necessarily in la-la land or very pure for that matter._

_He landed on his designated rooftop and kept a bird's eye view of their intended target as the person moved around their home. His blue eyes sent lingering glances at the woman mere feet from him, her piercing blue gaze keeping a constant watch over both their mission and him._

_She gave him a small glare and used her fingers to point at him and then back towards the window below. His eyes watched her plump rosy lips mouth out two words. "Stay focused."_

_He felt that same hot and searing feeling bubble and spread across his lower abdomen and down his groin as her figure kept enticing further dirty thoughts in his head._

_'What the fuck is she doing to me tonight?! I've never wanted to just fucking take her and devour her like I do right now.'_

_He ignored his arousal though, knowing he'd have the perfect opportunity to let his sexual frustrations be known. He felt the surge of excitement mixed with his growing need to have her, and he couldn't help but smirk at her before he nodded and disappeared among the countless flashes of silver blades cutting through the chaos of the growing turmoil below._

_--  
_

_Ichigo watched the puff of air that left his lips evaporate into the air as he stood outside the balcony by his room in the mansion. The cold air seemed almost ten times as refreshing to him after coming here from his hot shower. His wild orange locks clung to his face as his blue eyes trailed down towards the various paths marked across the mansion grounds._

_He let out a sigh, another puff of air disappearing into the night air as he finally let himself relax. The mission had been completed successfully, despite his earlier mishap involving Rukia, but now that he no longer had that to worry about, those previous feelings were coming back stronger than before._

_'I wonder if she's in her room…I should go see and make sure she's not lonely.'_

_The same smirk from earlier appeared on his face as he reentered his quarters and headed for his door. He stopped halfway, his eyes widened as he spotted a small feminine figure leaning against his closed door._

_He flinched when his eyes made contact with the narrowed eyes of Rukia. Even in the dim-lit room she still looked so deadly. He gulped and tried to laugh off his nerves as she began to approach him._

_"Hey…Rukia. I'm guessing you aren't very happy about that little lapse I had back there during our…"_

_"What the hell was wrong with you?" She asked quietly, which shocked Ichigo more since her tone was the opposite of the look she was giving him seconds ago._

_"W-What do you mean?" He inwardly cursed for stuttering. Rukia knew him inside and out now, there was no way she was going to accept his false ignorance now._

_He winced when he was proven right and her glare intensified. The tiny vampire shoved his chest roughly, making him lose his balance and tumble on top of his bed._

_"Kurosaki Ichigo, I have not been in a relationship with you for over six months for you to decide to start lying to me about your problems now!"_

_Her reddened face from her yelling, her chest heaving up and down from the forced air going in her lungs, and the fact that she was only wearing a really see-through nightgown weren't helping their situation. He could already feel the desire to jump her rising by the second as her piercing blue eyes stared straight into his soul._

_He felt his fingers twitching with anticipation, and his breathing quickening as he realized this was the opportunity he was waiting for. He could tell Rukia grew suspicious; by the way her anger seemed to slip away from her face like melting ice, and it being quickly replaced by apprehension._

_She took a few steps back; her lips turning into a frown at the intensity Ichigo's eyes were glowing. "I-Ichigo…what is it?"_

_She expected an answer from the man but was shocked when she felt his hands suddenly grab her arms and pull her towards him. She let out a high-pitched yelp at the sudden action, and tried to release herself from his grip when she realized she was now on top of him in his bed._

_Her eyes grew angry when his hold only tightened, and she began to kick his knees, which only seemed to make his blue eyes glow with more fervor._

_"What the hell is wrong with you tonight you moron?!" She grunted as he ignored her yelling and flipped their positions over, pushing her down against the soft covers of his bed. "Let go!" She screamed out, finding this odd behavior coming from Ichigo unpleasant and increasingly annoying._

_"Rukia…"_

_She froze, her breathing short and ragged as she stared up at the man holding her down. She was silent for once, the way he had just spoken her name, leaving her speechless and curious. Rukia let her arms go slack against his hold, and she looked up to see into his blue irises again, and finally noticing what he's been hiding from her all night long._

_It was desire. Strong, fierce desire that must've been draining him of his concentration for much longer than she could have imagined; her eyes lost their anger as she let their current situation finally sink in._

_"Ichigo?" Her voice was meeker than she would have liked as she finally spoke again. The look he was giving her, like she was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, left her feeling unnaturally shy._

_Her body tensed as he lowered himself, his body molding perfectly with her own smaller one, and the tip of his nose barely touching her own; his breath tickling her senses as its warmth fanned her face._

_This was the first time both of them had been in such an intimate position. She had only recalled sharing short embraces, meaningful glances, and chaste kisses with him. Now she could literally feel every muscle in his body pulsing against her pale skin. She felt the heat rise to her face when his hands left her arms and gently grabbed her waist._

_"I…" He paused, the pink tinge forming on his cheeks an indication to her that being this close to another person was a first to him as well. "I…I'm sorry for doing that just now. I just couldn't help myself…. you're…absolutely stunning."_

_This sudden show of confidence in his feelings for her caused the young vampire to raise a brow. "Do you have a fever you fool?"_

_Ichigo smirked as she placed her hand on his forehead to check for herself, and he chuckled at her growing pout._

_"Let's just say I've been bottling this up for far too long."_

_Before she could retort his comment, Rukia found his warm lips locking with hers in a deep passionate kiss. She felt her toes curling as his lips bit, licked, rubbed, and massaged every part of her quickly swelling lips. Rukia grabbed onto his shirt and pulled herself forward as she felt his tongue practically begging for entrance into her mouth. Barely opening her lips, she let out a strangled gasp at Ichigo's eager response._

_She let out a small moan when his tongue began to play with her own in the most enticing ways. His hands were also distracting her as they touched sensitive spots on her back and abdomen, causing her to wiggle in his hold. She could feel the cold air penetrate her warm body as he somehow removed the nightgown she was wearing and threw it to the side._

_Ichigo finally parted their lips, letting her take in some air as he looked down at her body. He felt himself grow hard at the image below him. He had always known Rukia was a rare beauty among the female vampires in their clan, but the way the moonlight was highlighting her petite womanly curves, her plump breasts, her shapely hips and thighs, and her milky white skin, he knew there was no way he was letting her go after this._

_Her blue eyes shined as his eyes roamed back up to her face, and he smiled at the way her brows furrowed in feigned anger. Even while trying to look pissed off she looked absolutely stunning._

_"Feeling shy now are you?" He chuckled at her expression and kept her hands from covering her breasts._

_"You're the one who undressed me moron, if you don't like it then…" She was silenced again by another one of his breathtaking kisses, and she looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks._

_"I never said I didn't like what I'm seeing…Rukia." She felt her face grow even hotter at the way his voice turned husky and sultry in mere seconds._

_Ichigo tentatively groped her left breast and felt a jolt of electricity course through him at Rukia's soft whimper of suppressed desire. His muscles tensed as his other hand went to slowly remove the last piece of clothing keeping him from getting what he wanted._

_His blue eyes remained concentrated on her face, the way her sweat rolled down her face, how her brows furrowed as his hand continued to massage her hard nipple, and how her own blue eyes seemed to glow brighter with emotions he hadn't known she could express so intensely with just a simple glance._

_"I-Ichigo." She shuddered, her own trembling hands grabbing onto his shirt and tugging it, as his lips descended back to her neck and his teeth grazed her porcelain skin slowly._

_He felt a smirk tug at his lips as her hands turned desperate to try and remove his shirt from his upper body. He lifted his head from her breast, to pull her hand away and he gave the palm of her hand a feather kiss._

_"Calm down you impatient woman." His voice seemed to lack the same ability to entrance like before, for she growled angrily and he soon found himself without a shirt, the shreds of what it used to be scattered all over the bed._

_"Don't tell me to calm down when you're taunting me with all this useless foreplay you increasingly annoying bastard."_

_Her own soft husky feminine voice drove him to continue and he shook his head before planting another chaste kiss on her lips._

_"I wonder why I keep you around Kuchiki."_

_Her warmth enveloped him as she pressed her whole body against his own flushed one, and he couldn't help but let out a shaky breath at how wonderful her naked body felt against her own._

_"Get rid of those undergarments Mr. Kurosaki and you'll see why."_

_He didn't respond, her words echoing through the silence of his room, made him control himself and realize that this was it. What he'd wanted to do since he'd first known he was in love with this woman. To form the physical connection he knew they both already shared spiritually and emotionally._

_His hands gently cupped her face, and his expression softened at her curious gaze. Her fast breathing and the way she was starting to tremble made him know she was just as nervous and thrilled all at once over what they were about to do._

_He smiled and kissed her forehead gently, and his smile only grew at the soft sigh of contentment that escaped her lips from the contact._

_"Rukia…"_

_She nodded her arms wrapping themselves around his waist as her face nestled in between his neck._

_"Ichigo."_

_The resolve in her voice gave him the final push he needed to know that what they were doing was something they both wanted. Pushing her back onto the bed, his eyes once again studied her face._

_"I love you."_

_He murmured, and for the rest of that night, he made sure she knew that was the honest truth._

_--  
_

He stops in front of the rusted gates, and tries to peer inside through the thick green vines. He turns around, his blue eyes scanning all around him to make sure no one had followed him here before pulling back the vines and opening the gates.

Ichigo grits his teeth as the gate refuses to budge at first, the pendant hanging on his neck glows even brighter as he opens the gate further. He lets out a heavy sigh as the gate finally opens fully and the path that leads into the garden is clearly visible. Rubbing his blistered fingers, Ichigo enters the garden, and is quickly overwhelmed by the strong smell of dead roses.

He takes cautious steps, and his eyes go from dead rose bush to dead rose bush, the smell coming off from each one giving Ichigo a growing unease in the pit of his stomach.

The air was heavy with tension he hadn't noticed before, and he could feel his muscles tensing the further he entered the labyrinth of the northern mansion's garden. How long had he been daydreaming before getting to the gate? It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes…the exit of the secret passageway and the gate weren't that far apart.

The young man reaches a crossway in the garden's numerous paths and he literally feels the tension fall on him like a ton of bricks. His blue eyes widen at the silence that suddenly surrounds him, and then he realizes it.

His eyes glow, and he can sense the powerful aura beginning to surround the garden. The vampire assassins had finally tracked her down. The world seems to unfreeze from its thick stillness and a gust of powerful air pushes through, the bushes surrounding Ichigo losing more of its dead black leaves.

The hunt was successful; those bastards had found her location as he had. Ichigo's fists clench and unclench as the aura from the assassins grow stronger and closer, their distance between them and Rukia closing in. His whole body trembles with agitation and growing despair. Rukia needed his help and those damn killers might get to her first…

He feels a familiar cold air envelop his body, and his blue eyes train to the icy mist seeping out from the ground and surrounding him. This was Rukia's aura, the cold air, and the ice crystals forming on all the vegetation and ground, it had to be her.

He grins, knowing she must have sensed him as he follows the mist forming around the left path of the garden. Clenching the pendant on his neck, he begins to run as fast as his legs would allow him.

Soon, he'd be with her, he'd grab her and take her away before their clan got their dirtied bloodied hands on her. He'd keep her safe from now on, no more worries that her actions would cause her death, or that those supposed clan leaders would decide to punish her for being the only one trying to do the right thing.

He nearly slips on some ice that formed on the ground, but he ignores the near fall and continues to run, the light from the pendant and the icy mist guiding him to her. Everything would be over soon, Rukia will be just on the other side of wherever this icy mist is leading him to, and all his worries will vanish like the wind.

He spots a clearing in the distance, and a small figure wearing an indigo cloak sits calmly on the edge of a marble fountain, its waters no longer flowing. He can feel those familiar emotions of love, annoyance, gratefulness, relief, anticipation, cautiousness, worry, and happiness he always gets whenever his eyes landed on Rukia.

His feet go faster, and the icy mist slowly begins to recede as Rukia's loving features becoming clearer to his vision. His orange bangs whip his face as he pushes himself to go faster and reach her.

The world freezes once again as he stops in front of the fountain. The cold air surrounding them completely disappears, and all that he can see is her glistening midnight hair, her usual black gown torn in multiple places (from all the running and hiding she had to do.), he angrily thinks to himself and vows to kick some asses for letting her favorite dress get ruined like that. Her blue eyes seem distant as she stares up at the night sky. Her cloak covers her petite figure, and he wonders if she's gotten injured from all the near misses she might have had while on the run.

She doesn't turn to look at him as his erratic breathing reaches her ears, and his footsteps echo against the hard ground.

His eyes seem to dull for a split second as he stands next to her sitting form. She lets out a shaky breath, and her rosy lips form a weak smile. His own lips twitch into his usual smirk, and the world continues to stand still.

"Rukia…"

The world continues to stand still.

"Ichigo…"

The world continues to stand still.

They both finally make eye contact with each other, similar blue orbs exchanging words and feelings in a split second. Her smile widens, his smirk grows, and they both finally speak again.

"I've found you."

The world moves again, the sounds of angry vampires and empty gardens with rustling twigs and leaves fills the air.

* * *

**My endings always bother me, but I have no more time to try and edit this, so...enjoy my attempt lol.**

**Reviews are appreciated but not expected. **

**End.  
**


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